Hello!

My name is Raya, and I’m an adventurous and thoughtful photographer based in Portland Oregon. I specialize in honest, poetic, and timeless images to document your elopement, intimate wedding, family adventures, or queer love story. My style is photojournalistic, focused on the little details; the sudden laugh, the sun turning frizzy edges of hair to a halo of warmth. Every life is made up of a thousand intertwining stories, and I want to be there to help tell part of yours. 

I’ve known for as long as I can remember that I wanted to tell stories, but the photography part came a little bit later. It started slow, with a disposable camera full of photos of the sky, preteen afternoons spent studying stock photos, broken cameras collected in thrift stores, a growing joy. Now, so many years and a BFA later, I still feel that joy when I look through the viewfinder and see the restless world made still and beautiful. It is a true giddy delight to take love, this wild and indescribable thing, and make it into something tangible. I love this work. 

When the cameras are put away, you might find me chasing my dog, playing hockey, or looking up at the stars. I love the smell of the ocean, melancholy songs, the shapes sunlight makes through windows, and reading comics in my pajamas. I’ve cried at every wedding I’ve photographed. I love pigeons. I used to ride the Montreal metro alone in the evenings because it helped me think and dream. I think we’ll get along great! Are you ready to make some magic together? .